Speculum



(No Model.)

5 H. DICKINSON. Jr.

SPEGULUM o; 498,633. Patented May 30, 1893.

WITNESSES:

ffin @AM A TTORNE Y S.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

HENRY DICKINSON, JR, or OHAPPAQUA, NEW YORK.

SPECULUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,633, dated May 30,1893.

\ Application filed JannarylS, 1893. Serial No. 458,745. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY DICKINSON,J1., of Ohappaqua, in the county ofVestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedSpeculum, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

Myinvention relates to an improvementin speculums, and it has for itsobject to construct the speculum in such manner that the upper and lowersections thereof will be independent one of the other; and furthermoreto provide a means whereby the anterior ends of the members or sectionsof the speculum may be made to diverge, the upper one to a greaterdegree than the lower one, or whereby both may be made to diverge topractically the same degree, and whereby also the posterior portion ofthe speculum, when the speculum is in use in the ordinary manner, willpresent an opening of sufficient size to conveniently and properlymanipulate the instrument.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple andconveniently and expeditiously manipulated device for enlarging theanterior portion of the speculum, and of holding the members in theirexpanded position.

Another important feature of the invention is to provide a means wherebythe upper member or section of the speculum may be carried aconsiderable distance vertically away from the lower member, thusproviding a means for increasing the opening at the posterior end asmuch as may be found necessary or desirable, and also to provide a meansfor maintaining the upper member or section in whatever position it maybe placed.

Another feature of theinvention is to so construct the two sections thatwhen they are in contact their vertical depth will be reduced to aminimum, thus admitting of the speculum being introduced into openingsquite small without trouble to the manipulator or pain to the person tobe operated upon.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification,

held in that position.

in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate correspondingparts in allthe views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the speculum, illustrating the uppermember as being carried some distance from the lower one and Fig. 2 is abottom plan view of the lower member. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the uppermember; and Fig. 4 is a detail View of the mechanism through the mediumof which the two sections aremanipulated.

In carrying out the invention the body of the speculum may be saidtoconsist of an upper member or section A and a lower member or sectionB. These sections are given the ordinary contour, the upper one beingslightly shorter than the lower one. Both of the sections are made quiteflat, but their inner faces are concave, and the outer end of eachsection is provided with a flange, the flange of the upper section beingdesignated as 10 and that of the lower section as 11. The flange oftheupper section extends upward, while that of the lower section extendsdownward, and the inner faces of the flanges are curved, producing whenthe two sections or members are brought together somewhat of abell-shaped mouth. The upper section at one side, the right-hand sidepreferably, is provided with a socket 12, and this socket has producedin it an opening 13, which extends through from top to bottom, theopening being essentially L- shaped in cross section, as shown in Fig.3. The socket has likewise formed upon it an ear 14, which stands atright angles to the flange 10, as shown in Fig.1; and upon the outerface of the ear 14 a stud 15, is located, shown best in Fig. 3. Thelower section B, is likewise provided with a socket designated in thedrawings as 16, and this socket has an opening 17, which extends throughit from top to bottom, the opening being preferably made rectangular andproduced in direction of the length of the socket.

The mechanism shown in detail in Fig. 4 and in position in Fig. 1, andadapted for manipulating the two members or sections A and B, is of thefollowing construction: Two bars 18 and 19, are connected by ahinge 20;thebar 18 is the upper one and the bar 19 is the lower one. The bar 18,is rectangular in cross section, and at its lower end one knuckle of thehinge 20, is produced, while the opposite knuckle is formed at the upperend of the lower bar 19. The lower bar is also rectangular in crosssection at its upper end, and at that point corresponds in formation tothe formation of the upper bar, while the lower end of the lower bar 19,is shaped to produce a handle 21. The handle is likewise preferably maderectangular in cross section, but its wider face is presented to thefront and rear, while the wider face of the upper portion of the lowerbar is presented to the sides, the handle and upper portion of the barbeing united by a circular shank section 21*; thus practically thehandle stands at an angle to the upper portion of the bar. An angular orL-shaped arm 22, is projected from the knuckle of the lower bar 19; theshorter member of the arm extends outward and stands at a right angle tothe knuckle, while the longer member extends downward and forward and ispreferably made to terminate in a knob 23. A like arm 24, is formedintegral with or is attached tothe knuckle of the upper bar 18, and oneof these arms is directly over the other. The longer members of the twoarms may be brought together if in dractice it is found desirable, andthe said members of the arms may he moved toward or from each other; andin the upper face of the upper arm 24, and in the lower face. of thelower arm 22, corrugations or notches are produced, designated in thedrawings as a, and the longer member of the upper arm terminates in aknob 23",or the equivalent thereof, in like manner as the correspondingmember of the lower arm; a link 25,is made to travel over both arms andto engage with the entire notched or corrugated surfaces thereof, theknobs 23 and 23 being intended to prevent the link from slipping fromthe arms. Thus when the link is at the inner end of the arm, as shown inFig. 4, the two bars 18 and 19 may be in vertical alignment; but whenthe arms are brought or carried in direction of each other the two bars18 and. 19 will stand at angles to each other, inclining in an outwardlydirection. A lever 26, is pivotally secured to the upper end of theupper bar 18, that portion of the bar upon its outer face being recessedto receive the lever and admit of its movement, as shown in Fig. 1. Thenarrow edge of this lever, where it connects with the upper bar and somedistance from the bar, is uppermost, while the outer end of the lever istwisted so as to bring that portion at right angles to the body and forma handle 27, presenting its wide flat surfaces upward and downward asshown in Fig. 1; and the lever at the rear of the handle is connectedwith the ear 14 bya link 28,which link is pivotally attached to thelever, and is capable of being slipped over or disengaged from thestud'15 upon said ear.

The parts are assembled in the following manner: The link 28, is carriedover upon the body of the lever 26, and the lever is carried upwarduntil it is in vertical alignment with the upper bar 18. The lever 26,is then introduced in the opening 13 in the socket of the upper memberor section of the speculum, the narrower portion and the handle of thelever entering the short section of the slot 13, while the body of thelever passes down through the wider section of the said slot. After thesocket has been slipped over upon the body or lower portion of the bar18 the link 28, is sprung over the stud 15,and in this way the lever isbrought in direct communication with the upper member or section A, andby operating the lever the said upper section may be raised or loweredupon the bar 18. The upper section having been placed in position, thehandle 21 of the lower bar 19 is introduced into the opening 17 in thesocket of the lower member or section B, and the said member or sectionis carried upward until the shank 21 of the bar is reached, whereuponthe said lower section is turned and brought beneath the upper section,and when the two sections are in this position, the lower section may becarried up upon the upper rectangular portion of the lower bar, and itremains in that position unless intentionally removed, by frictionalcontact with the bar.

Thus it will be observed that the various parts of this instrument maybe expeditiously and conveniently disconnected and thoroughly washed inantiseptic material; and furthermore the instrument when discon nectedmaybe packed in a small compass and but little time is consumed inconnecting the various parts and placing them in operative position.

In operation, the sections A and B of the speculum are brought together,and the instrument is grasped by the handle 21 of the lower bar. Thespeculum may then be introduced very readily into the vagina, and bymanipulating the arms 22 and 24 the anterior portion of the instrumentmay be separated as far as desired, and ample room will be provided atthe posterior portion for the introduction of any instrument that mayneed to be employed, as the sections A and B are independent one of theother. If it should become necesseary to increase the opening at theposterior portion of the instrument, the lever 27, is depressed and theupper member is thereby carried upward as far as desired, it beingunderstood that when the instrument is in position for use the upper bar18, if not the lower one, will stand at an inclination outward;therefore, as pressure is exerted upon the upper face of the uppermember A and its socket is located upon the outwardly andupwardly-extending bar, the more pressure exerted upon the upper memberthe more firmly it will be held upon the bar upon which it is intendedto slide.

ITO

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a speculum,the same consisting of a body comprising an upper and a lower member orsection, one independent of the other, each body section having a socketformed thereon, a hinged standard the members of which pass through thesockets of the body members, the hinge being located between the socketsof said body members, adjusting arms projected from the members of thestandard, and a lever connected with the upper body member or section,as and for the purpose specified.

2. A speculum comprising the upper and lower blades provided at theirrear ends at one and the same side thereof with sockets, a hinged barpassed removabiy at opposite sides of its hinge through said sockets;the lower end of the hinged bar forming the handle, ad-

justing arms projecting rearwardly from the respective members of thehinged bar at its hinge and means for adjusting the upper blade alongthe upper member of said hinged bar, substantially as setforth.

3. A speculum comprising a hinged bar carrying' the blades at oppositesides of its hinge the lower section of which forms the handle,

the two blades having sockets adapted to be passed upon and removed fromthe bar at opposite sides of its hinge, a stud 15 formed at the rearside of the socket of the upper blade, a lever 26 pivoted to the upperend of the upper member of the bar and adapted to align therewith whenthe upper blade is to be removed or attached, and a link pivoted to saidlever and having an aperture to receive the stud 15, and means foradjusting the hinge bar, substantially as set forth.

' HENRY DICKINSON, J R

Witnesses:

J. FRED. ACKER, O. SEDGWICK.

